Breaking: At Least a Dozen Staffers Laid Off Friday at Ogden Standard-Examiner - Updated

Will our home town newspaper survive, now that it's been reduced to its current skeleton crew? 

We saw the massive layoffs happen at the Deseret News.  We witnessed it happening at the Salt Lake Tribune.  Via former Standard-Examiner reporter Scott Schwebke we learn that a "wildly popular editorial cartoonist [is] among at least [a] dozen staffers laid off Friday at Ogden Standard-Examiner."

It's sad, but true O Gentle Weber County Forum Readers.  Cal Grondahl privately confirmed last evening that he's the "wildly popular editorial cartoonist" among the dozen or so Standard-Examiner staff employees who've received their "walking papers."

Sodden question:  Will our our already short-staffed home town newspaper survive, now that it's been reduced to its current "skeleton crew"?

Imagine if you will... a world without newspapers:

• Blumner: A chilling vision of a world without newspapers

Imagine a Standard-Examiner without Cal Grondahl...

Update 1/13/14 5:25 p.m.:  Via Bob Becker in the comments section down below, we learn that the "Trib is now reporting the story the SE isn't":

• Cartoonist Cal Grondahl, others lose jobs at Ogden newspaper

The Standard will attempt to lure Grondahl back under a new "no cut" contract, if they have a lick of sense; no doubt about it.

Update 1/15/14 7:44 a.m.: Cal Grondahl informs us that he'll be returning to the Standard for a limited "freelance" gig. "I met with my editors at lunch today and told them I would do a Sat. Caption Cal Contest cartoon and a Sunday editorial cartoon on a local subject of their choosing," our intrepid  genius local cartoonist reported in yesterday's Facebook status message.  Smart move on the part of S-E management, wethink.